The Stonewall National Monument page on the National Park Service website has removed references to transgender and queer people, despite the legacy of the Stonewall Riots and its participants.
The monument commemorates the Stonewall Inn, a New York gay bar where resistance to a 1969 police raid sparked the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Trans women of color were on the frontlines of the resistance, notably Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman.
The erasure is part of sweeping executive orders from President Donald Trump to remove resources and references to transgender and queer Americans from government websites. The Stonewall National Monument website now only references “LGB” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) people.
The nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD released this statement on the issue:
“The decision to change “LGBTQ” to “LGB” on the Stonewall National Monument page is yet another example of the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to discriminate against and erase the legacies of transgender and queer Americans. The Stonewall Uprising – a monumental moment in the fight for LGBTQ rights – would not have happened without the leadership of transgender and gender non-conforming people. The tireless work of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans women of color paved the way and continue to inspire us. You can try to erase our history, but we will never forget those who came before us and we will continue to fight for all those who will come after us.”
The Stonewall Inn and its philanthropic arm also released on a statement on the erasure:
“The Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative are outraged and appalled by the recent removal of the word ‘transgender’ from the Stonewall National Monument page on the National Park Service website. This blatant act of erasure not only distorts the truth of our history, but it also dishonors the immense contributions of transgender individuals — especially transgender women of color — who were at the forefront of the Stonewall Riots and the broader fight for LGBTQ+ rights.
Let us be clear: Stonewall is transgender history. Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and countless other trans and gender-nonconforming individuals fought bravely, and often at great personal risk, to push back against oppressive systems. Their courage, sacrifice, and leadership were central to the resistance we now celebrate as the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
This decision to erase the word ‘transgender’ is a deliberate attempt to erase our history and marginalize the very people who paved the way for many victories we have achieved as a community. It is a direct attack on transgender people, especially transgender women of color, who continue to face violence, discrimination, and erasure at every turn.
We demand the immediate restoration of the word ‘transgender’ on the Stonewall National Monument website. We will not stand by while the legacies of our transgender siblings are erased from the history books. The Stonewall Inn and The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative stands unwaveringly in solidarity with the transgender community and all who fight for full equality, and we will not rest until this grave injustice is corrected.”
The Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village became a national monument in 2016, creating the country’s first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history.